Urban Nutcrackerhttp://urbannutcracker.com
Diversity Through DanceFri, 14 Dec 2018 03:43:49 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1House Mouse Blog #4 (A rat’s life)http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-4-a-rats-life/
http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-4-a-rats-life/#commentsSun, 12 Nov 2017 00:17:42 +0000http://urbannutcracker.com/?p=679In the tradition of our House Mouse Blog, we’ve invited one of our “rat dancers” to talk about what it’s like to perform on stage. Ella Moye-Gibbons has danced in the Urban Nutcracker for many years. She gives her account of her time rehearsing and dancing below. There’s something specifically thrilling about performing. First+ Read More

]]>In the tradition of our House Mouse Blog, we’ve invited one of our “rat dancers” to talk about what it’s like to perform on stage. Ella Moye-Gibbons has danced in the Urban Nutcracker for many years. She gives her account of her time rehearsing and dancing below.

There’s something specifically thrilling about performing.

First you’re backstage, in the wings. Hands shaking, mind spinning, and feet tapping perfectly in time to the music. You’re whispering to yourself over-and-over again just how the choreography goes, maybe every now and then paying mind to the people around you. It feels terrifying and stomach flipping because as soon as the first clap of hands, or scream of the crowd hits your ears you know that you’re about to put everything that you are up on the line. You’re about to go and prove yourself to way too many people that are all expecting you to be something. They’re expecting something amazing and outstanding and you are barely sure that you can give it to them. Then, just as easily you hear those noises that tell you that someone’s left the stage, or you hear that specific music cue that tells you when your entrance should be. You’re running, crawling, or leaping onto the marley with this almost reluctance to meet the eye of someone in the crowd.

But then you’re out on the stage with a fake smile plastered on your face trying to ignore that one annoying thing about your outfit when you realize – you finally realize – that it’s not so bad after all.

So then you start being confident, and you start to have fun with your time in front of others. The stage turns into a personal arena for you to prove yourself better than those around you, to push yourself harder and stretch your smile wider than you ever have before. Every tiny move of the arm to weight shift, to turn, or to leap is filled with this screaming passion, hoping that someone, anyone, will think more of you than who you yourself know you are. Because without this moment of pretend, this moment of competition and differentiation, you undoubtedly feel forgotten within the seams of something you yourself are helping to sew together.

You don’t want to be left behind in this open space that tries to hide you behind others who are supposedly better than you. You want to prove yourself because you’ve gone through so much to get here and no matter how many times you joke that you’re still failing you don’t believe it at all. You know that you’re worth so much more, yet you think of yourself as so much less, because deep in your heart you let those words and opinions, that barrage you day after day, get to you. All of the corrections, and yells, and looking at yourself in a mirror while pushing yourself to be better, begets that you’re always told exactly what’s not good enough. You take criticism-after-criticism because that’s the culture that you’ve grown to be a part of, and it’s the only way that you know how to continue forward in this society of people trying to climb an unreachable top of an unimaginably tall ladder.

On the stage, it’s beautifully over-easy to throw away all of the opinions of your instructors. It’s a chance to prove yourself in a way that you feel like you can’t in a studio. The audience doesn’t know who you are, or what you’re doing later today, or what you did last week. They don’t see anyone else but a face in a costume. You have this beautiful, shining chance to prove yourself and throw away everything that’s around you. To leave behind all of the thoughts that could be creeping their way through the floorboards of your mind. You’re being handed the scissors that will cut away all of the imaginary strings connecting you back to reality. Even if those strings will grow back once it’s all over. Even if nobody will remember you by the end of it.

It’s the same feeling you get from pressing pencil to paper, tilting your head the same way, or making the same expression that’s in your drawing. It’s the same feeling as hearing the most perfect string of notes come together to form a harmonic melody. The same feeling as a stand out sentence of beautifully strung words on a piece of paper. It’s that feeling that makes you yearn to out-prove; to forget what’s right or what’s wrong, to leave behind all of the space that’s outside of your own creative reach. It fills up your heart and makes you feel full again, taking up a part of your life that you never knew you needed. It’s the feeling that makes you read all night, or doodle in class, or daydream through a conversation. It’s this instinct that tells you to enjoy what’s right in front of you. To abandon the future for just a moment to enjoy the present and what it has to offer you.

Without these outlets to let our emotions out, they would get all bottled up inside and collapse on each other; creating a mess that would seem impossible to clean up. Through this we don’t need a final score that tells us just how well we did compared to some average. Because nothing can replace the feeling I get from smiling until my cheeks hurt. Nothing can replace the satisfaction of a beautiful, overflowing melody. Nothing can replace the sweeping lines of a character dynamically jumping through the air. I don’t need to see my face or my name, I can just as easily create a scenario where a character much braver, fiercer, and more unique than myself can express those thoughts and emotions.

I can forget the world — I can cut those ties — for awhile. And this short while is all I need to feel secure again, without fear of collapsing anymore.

]]>http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-4-a-rats-life/feed/0House Mouse Blog Entry #3http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-entry-3/
http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-entry-3/#commentsFri, 11 Nov 2016 23:29:14 +0000http://urbannutcracker.com/?p=587Urban Nutcracker House Mouse Blog By Francesca Keeley 10 years old, TWDC Youth ensemble member Hello it’s me again! I am sleepy in a costume mouse hat it is very comfortable, I am curled up in the earpiece. Some people pick up the hat and I fall out and scamper through the open studio door+ Read More

Hello it’s me again! I am sleepy in a costume mouse hat it is very comfortable, I am curled up in the earpiece.Some people pick up the hat and I fall out and scamper through the open studio door and hide timidly under the piano.I hear them call “Mouse Picnic to the Studio”, then again “Mouse Picnic to the Studio”.In my head I think, just in time!In come the dancers, wow this is a lot of people! I see the dancers talking quietly, then they talk louder and louder, like old friends who haven’t seen each other in long time!The ballet mistress stands up and claps her hand and tells them to go the bar.In my head I think “there’s going to be drinks and a bar at this picnic too?”I sit back and relax under the piano, I see all the dancers line up.The dancers, some kids and some adults go to the up to barre (now I realize it is something to hang onto while dancing)!They move their legs at the same time, pointing toes as they push their legs out.Some have pointy toe shoes, others have ballet flats on, but some have no shoes at all!

After a while the dancers come to the center of the room.Someone calls for the cheese and the picnic blanket!Finally! I am so hungry!I see the cheese, but it’s much bigger than I expected!The dancers are in the center tugging on it.I am watching them dance around it waiting for my chance to get closer to the cheese.I finally see them run and leap off to the side with the cheese.They set it down on a blanket.No one is looking at the cheese, they are watching the girls dance on their toes fighting the rats.The pointe soldiers are circling around, everyone is dancing in a frenzy, and no one is watching the cheese.I see my chance!I run over and sink my teeth into it.I take a big bite….but Ewww!Yuck!It’s not like any cheese I know!It’s made out of foam! Silly me!Now I realize it must be a prop for the dancers, it must be Urban Nutcracker time again!!!!!!!

]]>http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/house-mouse-blog-entry-3/feed/0House Mouse – Blog Entry #2http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/463/
http://urbannutcracker.com/uncategorized/463/#commentsSun, 29 Nov 2015 13:02:17 +0000http://urbannutcracker.com/?p=463I wake from a late afternoon dream. Drowsily, I slide out of bed and make myself a piping cup of hot chocolate. I was dreaming of rooms full of people celebrating the holidays. I look out the window at the snowy landscape and I think to myself that it is a superb time to go+ Read More

]]>I wake from a late afternoon dream. Drowsily, I slide out of bed and make myself a piping cup of hot chocolate. I was dreaming of rooms full of people celebrating the holidays. I look out the window at the snowy landscape and I think to myself that it is a superb time to go sightseeing. I love staring at the lights and decorations set up around the holidays. As it starts to get dark it would be great to take a stroll around my neighborhood, and see if there is a place for me to sneak in and join some festivities. IT WOULD BE PARTY TIME!!! I hope I can find a huge banquet with wonderful foods and desserts.

Sounds like a plan I say to myself. I dress warmly, throwing on a scarf, hat and mittens, knowing the winter weather. BBBBRRRRR!!!! I scurry out of the studio, down the stairs and outside. The first thing that I see are the bright lights of Ula Cafe. I hurry on my way past the treats displayed on the counter. I am in search of the perfectly decked out house. As I round a corner, a triple decker apartment with wreaths and candles in every window is covered in lights. I see people walking in the front door and it seems a party has begun. I scurry in the door unnoticed with a group of guests.

There is a fire in the fireplace, tables filled with food, adults laughing, and children opening gifts and playing games. Quietly creeping I snatch some cookies and punch inconspicuously. With my treats, I scamper onto the mantle over the fire and find a spot to watch the fun. Let the party begin!

I awake to lightly-flowing music. I look out of my peephole and see girls and boys of all ages warming up and stretching at the barre. The music sounds again, all of the dancers respond, moving their legs in time to the beat. Tondu, tondu, tondu, pique, pique. I observe as the dancers all turn in unison, some of the younger ones look unsure of what to do. It’s an unusual time for a dance class. Then, I remember… ohh!, the Nutcracker auditions are today.

I imagine that the dancers cherish this day. I bet they are both excited and nervous. What happens today will decide their entire winter schedule and whether they get the roles they wish for. It is lovely to see the younger ones trying a new experience.

What they don’t know yet is that the Chinese and Rox Riff kids always rocked the stage, getting the most applause. What a big step in their lives! I hope they all get a good part. I scurry back inside to get dressed.

When I came out again warm ups have ended and the younger children have disappeared. I notice that the older group is now dancing. As I peer closer I realize that they are doing Clarice’s dance. It’s my favorite! I tap my paw in time to the music and hum along. I notice the familiar teachers are there judging the kids! I remember them from their roles last year as the Snow Queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the guests at the magical party scene and Drosselmeyer.

The auditions fly by and before long it is dark out. I jump down from the barre I perched on for a better view and go back to my cozy hole. In a few days the dancers will know their roles for this year. I can’t wait to find out who is the Sugar Plum Fairy and, of course, Clarice. The dances still replaying in my mind as I crawl into my matchbox bed. As I drift off to sleep, I dream of pointe shoes, falling snow, Christmas magic and prima ballerinas.

The Urban Nutcracker House Mouse is played by Sarah who is 11-years old.